Back to the future in five headlines

What could have turned into a navel gazing memory trip for old timers, instead turned up a treat of unexpected prescience. Revisiting Slade Reports from the 1980s, we’ve uncovered some headlines that were surprisingly accurate and still have relevance 30 years later. Have a quick look at these:

Slade Report, September 1985: The Temporary is Here to StayFortune Magazine, 2014: The Rise of the Permanent Temporary WorkerBoth articles refer to the growing trend of temporary or contract staffing, and the benefits and pitfalls for both employees and employers.

Slade Report, September 1985: The Ins and Outs of the EOA (National Committee on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation)Federal Government Website, 2014: What is EEO?EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) means that all people regardless of gender, race, colour, age, marital or parental status, sexual preference, disability or religious belief have the right to be given fair consideration for a job or other job related benefits such as staff training and development.

Slade Report, October 1986: Technology is the Answer, Not the ProblemThe Guardian, 2013: Technology as Our Planet’s Last Best Hope

Slade Report, October 1986: Women in Management Vital to Australian Business
Sam Moystin in The Daily, November 2014: This is the Leadership Challenge for Australia. Are we up to it?This week, in committing to reduce unemployment, raise participation and create quality jobs globally, G20 leaders agreed to focus on significantly reducing the gap in participation between men and women by 25% by 2025. Australia’s genuine engagement with this commitment could provide us with the much-needed impetus to embrace a wave of cultural change across our workplaces. And we should, because it will not only grow the participation and advancement of women but it will answer the needs of a rapidly changing working population, while improving productivity and supporting growth.

Slade Report, July 1986: Executives Threatened by Industrial DemocracyNeilsen Report, 2014: What’s Empowering the Digital Consumer?The language may have changed, but the power of the Davids vs Goliaths has already reached a tipping point through social media.

And there we have it – back to the future! On one hand we think we’ve advanced so far, but dig a little deeper and it seems we’re still grappling with similar issues in our world @work.